Almondina Stays Classy: Chocolate Cherry Biscuits

Upon first realization that biscotti baking was within my grasp, I treated it as a revelation of sorts. I was a teenage boy, and culturally speaking, I probably should have been surfing or running with a bad crowd, rather than spending my days baking biscotti. However, there is something totally irresistible about these twice-baked cookies that have become highly popularized and a ubiquitous counter stable for every Starbucks on the planet. Intended as dipping cookies (for coffee and/or wine and liquor) these vehicles for nuts, chocolate, dried fruit, etc are less of a commitment (at least to consume) than your plain old drop and bake cookies and make for a relatively dainty one-hand chowing experience.

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Almondina Chocolate Cherry is the newest in a long line of beloved and popular Almondina biscotti, or biscuit, treats. These more svelte versions of the more popular brick-like biscotti are just a few millimeters thick and come with the assurance that you won't likely crack a tooth when trying to eat them. Chocolate Cherry, as the newest flavor, is no dud. Rife with thinly sliced almonds and tangy dried cherries, these deep chocolate cookies are just as desirable and addictive as the many packages of Almondina consumed over the last few years. The chocolate cookie is crisp, crunchy, and maintains a deep cocoa quality that is almost evocative of a lightly-roasted coffee, making this an ideal pairing for a piping hot cup of joe.

This biscotti, as with all Almondina products, are billed as the "delicious cookie without the guilt," and that justification is reinforced by the fact that they are made without any added fat, salt, or cholesterol, and contain only the simplest of ingredients (cocoa, nuts, egg whites, flour, etc). But bear in mind, the probability of involuntarily consuming an entire package in one sitting are very, very high.

Almondina Chocolate Cherry are sold in 4-ounce packages ($3.49) and sold at Trader Joe's, Wegman's, Safeway, Osco, Ralph's, and Target.